It Has Been a Long Time . . . Where?

I just had a lovely person send a comment to me on one of my other posts. It was out of the blue. I was not expecting it. Furtherest thing from my mind. Well, it got me thinking that I have not posted anything since . . . well, 2019. That's too long. I will admit I am not much of a fan at writing these things. Not that I don't talk much--I do but it's the writing and taking the time to write it all down. I will try and do better.

Until then!

Melissa

TpT Sitewide Sale

Save with our Cyber Sale!
Sale starts December 2, 12:01 am ET and ends December 3, 11:59 pm ET.
During the sitewide sale, you can save up to 25% off TpT resources. Save on everything from interactive notebooks and unit plans to graphic organizers, full-course curriculum, and great decor for your classroom. TpT offers a 5% discount off the resource presale price. To receive this discount, enter the sale promo code CYBER19 at Checkout.

Toodles

New one--hot off the presses

Good evening,
I just wanted to pop in to show you my latest. I found this clipart and it was donuts made into turkeys. I had to have them. After purchasing, I wondered "What am I going to make with them". I knew it had to be something for Thanksgiving. Then it came to me--another one about telling time but this one would be to the minute. I had been beating around the bush before but this one had to be to the minute. I will show you the cover.

     https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Time-to-1-Minute-Time-for-a-Turkey-Donut-5027613
Don't you just love the clip art. It comes from Purple Palmetto on TpT. I just love their clip art. If you want to take a closer look, click on the link under the picture. It is on sale for a limited time--only $1.00.

I have more almost finished. I did some printables with compare and contrast. I will write a post when those three are finished.

Have a blessed day!!
Toodles,
 

Another set of printables

I have also been working on another set. I am not quite finished with this one. It takes a lot of time to create one printable.  I will show you a cover so you can guess. Which one will I choose? Oh, I know. . .

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-Facts-and-Research-Kentucky-Kentucky-What-Do-You-See-4953236

Kentucky--this is the state where I was born. I have not got to the state where I live yet but soon. I think I am about one state away. I am on 39 now with the next almost finished. I am creating them in alphabetical order. Keeps me straight that way.

In each printable, is a book that shows state facts with a picture of each to color. It also has a poster of the state map, a collage of colored pictures and one exactly like it in black and white to color. It also has a worksheet to check for understanding. 

It is so fun to work on these. I am learning a lot about each state. It is taking so long because I am having to look for other clip art for the extra facts. Here is an image of what's inside.

Like I said; they are super fun to work on, but I had to take a break. I will finish them, I promise. Like the alphabet/sound set, I will feel sad. I have been working on others so I will have to show them later as well.

Until then . . . Toodles,
 

What have I been working on?

What have I been working on---well, that is the question? The answer--a lot but one set of printables in particular are very special to me because I love phonics and working with kiddos on anything phonics. Here is the cover of one of them. Oh, I might add that I did 26 printables in this set. One for each letter.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Letter-Sounds-Letter-Aa-Sound-Board-Game-4846861
Here is the cover picture of the file and the preview of what is in the file. Every printable, like I said there are 26, is set up in the same way. It has the game board. There are different sets of cards; alphabet, sounds, and words. There are spinners and tokens to match the given theme. The theme even matches the letter sound. I think they turned out great. A lot of work but I am pleased. 
They are now in the shop. Oh, and I have them also in two bundles; 13 in each set.

       
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Letter-Sounds-Games-Bundle1-4847096
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Letter-Sounds-Games-Bundle2-4855622
There is one that is free so you can see what each printable entails. The letter X. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Letter-sounds-Letter-Xx-Sound-Board-Game-4855589
Those took up quite a bit of time but well worth it. In a way, I hated when they were all finished. 
There are links under the picture that will take you directly to the product in Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Toodles,
 

Blog changes

Good evening!!
I have been working on the blog today. I have changed the header as you can see. My new logo that I made is up. Here is the picture . . .

She is similar to the one that I had before but the shape of her face is different to more closely resemble a mouse since that is part of the shop's name. I think she is cute. It is crude and not as crisp as I would have liked but it will do for now. I don't have the proper technology or software to make it better. Well, not yet anyway.

I have also changed some of the colors and the fonts. There is not much I can do except for what Blogger allows so this will also have to do.

I think my work is done for today--it is getting late here in Ohio. It is already dark outside. I hate that!! Thanks for coming to take a peek. Until next time.

Toodles,

I am back . . .

Good day,
Forgive me; I am a little rusty it seems. Looking at my posts, it has been almost 4 years since I posted anything to this little blog. I can't believe it!! Life seems to have taken over for awhile, but I am back. To catch up, I have been working all those years. I finally got that teachers position I so hoping to get. However, it was not the perfect job, nor my dream job, to say the least and it was certainly not the one I was praying for. It affected my health. In fact, in July, I had to have surgery on my both eyes. It was caused by my blood pressure being so high. Having diabetes did not help the case either. I was concerned that I would never see again. Surgery worked, Praise The LORD. The eyes are not where they once were, but at least I can see. I have had three mini strokes in the last two years, as well. So, I am convalescing at home until that perfect (and the one I am praying for) one comes along.  In the meantime, I have been working on my printables. I think I have finished close to 100 new ones so far.  I also revamped and reformatted my existing ones. That took awhile--no kidding--about two months.  I changed some covers, changed the clip art on some (I found better ones to use), I added more to some (they seemed kind of skinny before), and changed my terms of use page to reflect current trends. But I am happy with the outcome; it was also therapy for me. I have missed sharing on this blog. I do not like where life has taken me, though. Being so sick is not fun at all and the reason for my being sick was, and is, pointless. No one should have to go through what I did.  I still love to teach but teaching did not seem to love me. However, that is in the past, and I have to move on. It was an experience; one that I would have rather learned another way.  However, I do look forward to sharing what I have done over the last six months. Until then--Back to creating!! 
Oh, I almost forgot--I am planning on revamping the blog so look for some major changes in the near future. May have to get some help on that one! It is time!!

Toodles,

Teachers Pay Teachers Cyber Smile Sale

Good Morning,
Just wanted everyone to know that Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual Cyber "Smile" Sale going on tomorrow through December 1st. Most of the stores will be having sales. My shop will be included. All my printables are 15% off. When you use the coupon code SMILE from TpT, you get an additional 10% off your purchase. I think that is a smiling deal--don't you??

 Toodles,

Rudolph, Rudolph With Your Nose So Red, What's the Shape of Your Head?

It has been a long time since I created anything but I got to thinking about this printable. I was wondering why it was not selling as well as I hoping it would, and I thought maybe it was the layout sooooo, I gave it a makeover. I changed the orientation of the pages. Here is the grand reintroduction to:

Rudolph, Rudolph With Your Nose So Red 

I love the color of the cover. The red just makes it POP!!! And I am not even a fan of red--remember it is ????????  (see a previous post on my favorite color). 

You can find it at my TpT shop. Just click on the name under the front cover above. The clipart images are from Graphics From the Pond.  I just love all of Mel's clipart. These guys are so stinking cute!! I couldn't resist. It has three different books: a student book (two printing versions), a class book, and a teacher's book. 

Here is the preview of what is in the file.

There are several more that I am going to transform because of the layout.I am also in the process of making a turkey one. I hope to get it done by Thanksgiving, but I realize it will probably be too late for sellers. Maybe next year.

Toodles,

Tutors and Back to School

I have just joined Always a Teacher and Forever a Mom linky party to promote tutors and back to school. It is also coordinated with Teachers Pay Teachers site wide Back to School Sale on August 3 & 4. You can save up to 28% using the code BTS15. My shop is having a sale.

 

 

I am a tutor. I am striving for a teaching position for next school year; that is my heart's desire but in the mean time I have been a tutor for about a year and a half. It has helped and been a blessing since I finished student teaching. I have learned just about as much as my students. Now in order to link up we have to give a tip and a resource that we use. Here is mine!!

Okay, I mainly work with students on their reading. Majority have issues with phonics and have pieces to the puzzle that are missing or weak. They also have issues with knowing their sight words. These skills are crucial to becoming a excellent reader. That is where I come in. I perform pre-assessments so that I know where to begin and what skills are weak. We start right to work on those skills. 

Since little minds have a short attention span, I have hands-on activities that we do. I feel that making learning fun takes the boredom out of learning. Learning takes place without their knowing it if you make it fun. We do reading practice, some worksheets (not many), file folder games, board games, card games, and creative activities.

One strategy that I use when we do play games, like sight word cards or file folder games, is that I fake that I am frustrated when I am losing. I tell them that their goal is to get more cards or pieces than me and to try to beat me at whatever game we play and boy do they try their best to do that. If they get it wrong, then the card or pieces is mine.  They get so tickled because their pile is growing and mine is not that they just explode with laughter. They are having FUN! Now, for certain games, like sight words, I make sure that I have a lot more cards in the pile that they know plus a few of the ones that we are working on. My goal is that their pile has more than mine but they do not know that. I want them to be motivated to learn. Sometimes a healthy competition is a good thing!!

One of my resources that I use is my making words printable. I have two so far. This printable reinforces phonics skills by making words using onset and rime (word families). Each child will pick a mat. They will also pick four letters to put on their cones or trees. Those will be the beginning sound of their words. All scoops and ornaments should be turned over on the table. When it is their turn, they will turn over an ice cream scoop or ornament. If they can make a word using one of their letters, they can keep it. If they can’t, they put it back. When they get the predetermined amount of scoops on their cone or ornaments on their tree, then that column is done. Their goal is to fill all the cones with ice cream scoops and trees with ornaments. 

Toodles,

TpT Back to School Sale

Top of the Morning to Ya!
Just wanted everyone to know that Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual Back to School Sale starting August 3rd and 4th. Most of the stores will be having sales. My shop will be included. All my printables are 20% off through August 5th. When you use the coupon code BTS15 from TpT, you get an additional percentage off your purchase. I think that is a sweet deal--don't you??

 

Toodles, 

Summer Greetings!!

Well, it is July already. Can you believe it??? Pretty soon school will start back. A little bit of an update on the home front. I have started back to school to get my Master's in Reading and Literacy. Yes, I did not want to start the homework thing again but there were so many benefits to starting it now that I just couldn't pass it up. I will be done in about 18 months so that is not too bad. Not like six years. It just checked so many boxes off the list.

Now shop news, I have been speaking with fellow sellers about the shop. One suggested that I might should consider dropping the price because for one printable, buyers might not think it was a good deal. So, I plan to put some into packs (not bundles) and have an extra item in the packs that you cannot get if you individually purchase them. I have not had any luck with the bundles in the past. Not sure if it is the name or what. I will also be changing the front cover to those. They also suggested that. I do not get enough from the free account to drop the price any. Maybe some that are $2.75 drop down to $2.50. The next thing is to change the description, clipart thank you, and TOU page. I plan to split those up. I always thought it was better to have on one page so it would be convenient for the buyer when printing I think I need to reevaluate that because my description again is lacking as well as suggestions of other ways to play. I do not think people know that I chug a lot of ways to use the printable than what is obvious. I do not think people realize that. There again marketing.

They also suggested that I need an niche'. Something that would make me stand out because what I do so many are doing also. Any ideas????

 Well, that is all for now.

Toodles,

Teacher Appreciation Sale on TpT

Hi All,
Just wanted everyone to know that Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual Teacher Appreciation Sale going on today through May 6th. Most of the stores will be having sales. My shop will be included. All my printables are 15% off through May 7th. When you use the coupon code ThankYou from TpT, you get an additional 10% off your purchase. I think that is a sweet deal--don't you??

 Toodles,

Graduation

I am very proud to announce that my youngest is graduating college next month. She still has to do student teaching in the fall. Then she will have her certification in Special Education just like her mama. She would love to work with the severe and profound in a multi-handicapped classroom. I pray that we both find the classroom of our dreams!!
Here is the announcement:

Toodles,

Melissa

Update on TpT

Greetings to all!!
I have been lazy with getting to post anything on the blog--sorry! I have been busy with life I guess. Anyway, I just wanted to give a heads up to the shop at Teachers Pay Teachers.  I just finished updating my product descriptions. I found a shop that has tutorials about how to increase traffic and hopefully sales, to your shop. I acquired a tutorial about product descriptions because I knew that is one that I needed at the time. One of the things that it focused on and asked was 'Are your product descriptions effective?' My answer was NO! I have always struggled with what to put into the descriptions and how to write them. I thought they had to be catchy in order to snag buyers attention, and some did to a point, but a lot were not and they were not informative enough for buyers according to the tutorial. I did have some of their components, though, like content and some ideas of how to use it, but not to the extent that they had listed especially the reminder to follow my shop. I did have a signature closing before but deleted it awhile ago. So I put that back on. It also gave html codes for bold print and how to add similar product hyperlinks which I did not know how to do. I liked that! So, I feel I got my monies worth out of this product with all the information that it gave me!!

Here is the cover of the product that I used:

How to Created Effective Product Descriptions

This product is from a shop called Selling Strategies. They state "Selling Strategies takes the mystery out of TpT success by sharing practical tips and tools to reduce the learning curve and help you optimize your sales sooner rather than later!" They have tutorials on how to create product covers, how to price your products, and about what fonts to even use to name a few. It has a lot of useful information I believe.

Next step is marketing. I think my shops would do better if teachers knew about it. I think the prices are okay. Just not sure what else I can do other than getting the word out. One thing is to still pray about it which I do everyday!!

 Toodles,